Gentle, Warm, and Tender
by holeygeorge
Summary: Missing Scene, S2Ep13 "Irresistible"...After Scully is saved from the clutches of the fetishist mutilating the bodies of dead women, Mulder is left with a scared and shaken partner...Hints at MSR founded on friendship and trust.


Disclaimer: I sadly do not own the X –Files, or any of its characters :'(

Little missing scene I thought about after watching Episode 13 from Season 2 :) Enjoy!

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Scully couldn't help but feel relief crying, held safely in Mulder's arms. Any fear, any form of anxiety, any vision of that monster left her in that moment because she knew that she could trust him to protect her best he could and never leave her. It was a strange sensation feeling this safe. Although a gun could give you some sort of comfort by having control, it was nothing compared to being in the warmth of someone who you could rely on completely.

She could barely register the soothing words he was mumbling in to her hair, focusing so much more on the way his lips brushed against the top of her head. On the way his hand rubbed her back, loosening her muscles still tense from the fear that had filled her entire body only seconds before. On the way her ear was just perfectly aligned with his chest and his beating heart, feeling and hearing it thump, proving to her she was still alive and he was really there.

She forced herself to stop crying, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands only to catch a glimpse of the bruises engraved in a deep purple on her wrists, reminding her of what had just happened. So she put them down quickly as she pulled away slightly and managed to whisper a thank you to Mulder, which he chose to not reply to.

Instead he directed his next words at Bocks, "I'm sure you can handle the rest by yourself? If you don't mind I'll be around tomorrow morning to finish up questioning and the case."

Bocks, still in shock over the capture of such a sick man, cleared his throat before he replied, "Yeah…that's fine. Do you need a ride or…?" Bocks glanced over at Scully who was still noticeably pale and shaking.

"No I came down in my own car, we'll be okay." Mulder grimaced toward Bocks, who in turn nodded before he was called over by another special agent.

"Mulder you really don't have to do this." Scully tried to regain her composure so that Mulder would stay and finish up the case, but failed as her voice cracked toward the end of her sentence.

Again he ignored her, instead taking off his coat and placing it on her own shoulders then wrapping an arm around her to guide her to the car. He opened the door for her and closed it once she was in.

Getting into the driver's seat, he started the car and drove off toward the small town bed and breakfast like motel he had been staying at since Scully had left for the Bureau.

Scully, now shaking less, still said nothing but Mulder noticed she leaned into him. He wondered if she noticed too…

They arrived at the motel in what seemed little time. Scully managed to get out of the car herself, gaining the control over her still somewhat wobbly legs, but Mulder still walked closely next to her as they walked towards the entrance.

She guessed he would go to the receptionist first and acquire a room for her to stay the night. Fear seized her up again. Scully couldn't stop the flashback to her kidnapper…the look in his eye as he filled the bathtub. The image of that _thing_ from her dreams also crept into her mind, its awkward yet menacing way of walking… inhuman and out to get her.

Mulder stopped just as they made it through the front door as he felt her tense up under his arm.

"You alright, Scully?" he asked, concern laced heavily in his voice, oblivious to the stare of the receptionist at the strange sight before her. He tried to catch her eye, ducking a bit even, yet she wouldn't look at him for fear of crying again.

She didn't know what to say…She didn't want to be alone but she also didn't want him to think she was weak.

He lifted up her chin gently to look into her eyes, his own imploring her to answer truthfully. Once again, she found herself unable to hide or lie when he looked at her that way, not wanting to betray their friendship.

"I…", she swallowed the knot in her throat, "Mulder…I just don't want to be alone…" she barely whispered, tears welling up in her eyes as her fears became more effective as she spoke them aloud.

She continued, trying to defend herself, "I know he's locked up and he can't come back…I don't even know why I'm scared…But really, I'm fine. I'm just being ridiculous, go get me a room." She attempted a small, reassuring smile, though she didn't know if she succeeded.

Mulder didn't answer; instead he silently stared at her. His eyes moved around her face, for what felt like an exceedingly long time, thinking. Scully's face betrayed her and began to heat up under his intense stare but she wasn't even sure if he was aware of what he was doing, he seemed lost in thought so she allowed him the silence.

_Scared. _She said herself. She was scared. He replayed the word over and over in his mind, along with the way she whispered about not wanting to be alone. He hated the man who made her feel this vulnerable. He despised himself for always allowing her to get so hurt and so close to death. His strong, fiery partner and friend shouldn't have to go through all this. His mind flashed him back to the look of pure terror that remained in her eyes when she looked up to see him there and the way she wouldn't look him in the eyes when he helped her out of the binds on her hands, and the way that when she finally did, she looked so small…so fragile.

"Mulder?" Jesus, even her voice sound tiny…

"Come on," was all he said as he led her away from the front desk and to his own room.

She wondered if he was mad at her for what had happened, for allowing it to happen, but said nothing.

He opened the door to his room and closed it behind them, throwing his keys on the night stand and turning on the lights. Scully stood there, unsure of what to do as he went through his bag and pulled out a pair of jogging shorts and t-shirt.

"Your luggage is still at the station, I forgot to bring it with me, but this should be comfortable. I promise it's washed." He smiled softly at her.

"Thanks," she smiled back and made her way to the bathroom. She decided to shower while in there, wanting to get the smell of the night's events off of her. She looked into the mirror, shocked at what she saw. Around her mouth was a rash from the rag that had muffled her cries. Her face was forming small bruises from the hits she took down the stairs and during the struggle. And as she unclothed she turned away from the sight of her body, which looked like a canvas with its own marks and scrapes. Once she exited the bathroom, she found Mulder sitting on a chair next to the bed, watching a sports news program.

"Finished? Hope you didn't take all the hot water, Scully," he winked letting her know he was joking and with a bundle of his own clothes under his arm he entered the bathroom for his own shower.

Scully wasn't sure what to do, feeling awkward all of a sudden and wishing she was in her own room, not worrying about what her next move should be. She decided to take a seat on the bed, and as she rested against the pillow propped up against the headboard, she realized just how exhausted she was.

Her muscles ached from her efforts to fight off her kidnapper, as did her head from the crying she had done earlier. Her wrists and ankles pulsed with the pain of burns made from the bindings that had held her. She studied them, touching them hesitantly to see just how much damage had been done.

"What happened in that house, Scully? I need to know…" came his voice from the door of the bathroom, which he leaned against.

Scully would have noticed that Mulder was clad in only a t shirt and boxers if she hadn't been so thrown off by his abrupt and blunt question. She just looked at him, not answering before she looked back down at her wrists. Mulder made his way to the bed, and took a seat next to her, inches away but their arms not touching. The silence was allowed to fill the room so completely, to the point where they almost felt it suffocate them.

"He…," she took in a deep, shaky breath, willing herself not to cry, "I was driving to the station after I arrived and there was a car following me. I thought nothing of it until he bumped me from behind for the first time; I regained control of the car but couldn't speed up fast enough. The last thing I remember then was the bright light of his headlights blinding me. I woke up later, in the house, tied up at the ankles, hands," she lifted up her wrists a little, "and gagged when he opened the door to the closet I was in. He had this look in his eye and then…," Scully wasn't sure if she should tell Mulder of her dreams and the hallucinations she had experienced, "he undid the binds that kept me from walking. He led me to the bathroom, where he was filling up the tub…it was scented…lavender, it smelled of lavender. That's when I tried to run, and we struggled a while before I managed to get away. The confident way he moved, it was as if he knew the whole house by memory - "

"It used to be his mother's house…"

"That explains it…Well, that's basically where you found us, I had picked up his dropped gun but them he smacked it out of my hands. If you hadn't come in then…" The tears returned to her eyes at the memory of thinking she was going to die, and she tried to blink them back.

She looked at her hands again and whispered, "Are you mad at me? "

"Why would I be mad at _you_?"

"For letting it happen…I should've called you to pick me up or thought quicker when he hit my car, or fought hard- "

"Jesus Christ, Scully, I would never blame you for this! This is none of your fault; that bastard is sick and there's no way you could've seen this coming." At this point she could no longer hold in the tears.

Mulder closed the space between them and held her in his arms and her body shook with sobs. Scully held on tightly to his shirt, she didn't even know why she was crying, but needing to. Mulder kissed the top of her head, his heart aching for his friend, not knowing what more to do but to hold her.

She calmed down, but this time didn't attempt to move out of his arms which held her so closely and tenderly. They sat there on the bed, the T.V. on with no one watching, Mulder kissing the top of her head every once in a while, and her hold on him not lessening.

"We should try and get some sleep, we all know what a mess I look like if I don't get my beauty sleep," he said but did not move, as Scully laughed lightly.

He made to move out of the bed a couple of moments later but Scully didn't release his shirt, keeping him there.

"Can you stay with me?"

"Anything you want Scully, let me just turn off the lights," he said gently, smiling and grabbing her hands with his own to get out of her hold. He turned off the ceiling lights and T.V. and made his way back to the bed, this time turning on the bed side lamp to prevent himself from walking into anything.

He pulled back the covers as much as he could without throwing her off, "You might want to get under here, don't want to wake up to a Scully-popsicle."

She chuckled at his bad joke and did as he suggested, lying on her side watching him set the alarm, blushing at the sight of him in his nightwear and the fact that he was going to join her in bed.

He got under the covers too, the bed sagging a bit from his weight, and turned off the lamp. The bed was small, probably the size of a double, causing them to touch. At first Scully was unsure if she should scoot away to give him space, but that left her mind as he scooted closer.

Scully laid her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her. She had never felt safer before, loving the warmth of his body and the softness of his shirt as it rubbed against her face. His chest rose as he sighed, lulling her into a light sleep and causing her to close her eyes.

"Hey, Scully?"

"Yes?"

"If Frohike asks how this trip went…can I say I slept with you?"

"Oh Mulder…" she shook against him as she laughed.

"Careful, say my name that way again and I can't be held responsible for my actions," he warned.

"_Mulder_," she chastised, or tried to.

"What'd I just say?" he laughed.

This time she said it seriously, "Mulder? "

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, " and she blindly aimed a kiss to what she thought was his cheek, but missed and got right under his chin.

"Anytime," and he kissed the top of her head for what seemed the hundredth time.

"Goodnight" she muttered sleepily, snuggling closer to his body.

"Night, Scully, don't let the bed bugs bite." And he closed his eyes too, the both of them drifting off to sleep, the best sleep they've ever had.

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What d'ya think? Let me know in the reviews, yes? :D …and I am working on Ch.2 for "pass me the seeds" I promise! :) ….


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